Welcome, Boyd.

Suggest you go to the Home Page of this site and click on Classified Ads in the Quick Links section, on the right side of the page near the photo strip. There is one 1995 boat offered, but it is in New York, so that's quite a delivery task. Other boats of other years located nearer to Vancouver are on the list (but alas, not everyone states where their boat is lying).

In our Pacific Northwest waters - Pacific Southwest to you - a fin keel is the almost-universal choice. We have the deep water, and we can use the slightler improved stiffness that the fin keel offers. Beyond that, TR vs Standard, sail size, etc...all personal choices at time of purchase. Racers will want something specific, and will usually benefit by purchasing custom sails after they have their boat in the slip; cruisers are more laid back about this.

Depending on where the boat previously resided, you may want to plan on installing an Espar or other brand of furnace. As you may know from your 30, it makes a great difference on a cold morning to turn on the furnace for 15 minutes or so.

The C36 is a wonderful follow-on boat to the 30, I am told. A friend of mine with a S&S C38 insists that my mkII C36 has more interior room than his supposedly larger boat has. I agree with him. The C36 has Loads of storage room.

Good luck.

We have a 1985 C-36 with the U shaped dinette.

I wanted to lower the table to convert into a bed.

I was able to get the table off the pedestal post, I was able to loosen or even remove the big knob but I was not able to remove the post.

The post does fell lose, even moves about 1/16" up and down, against the black insert that is inside the post, but the post does NOT come off.

I do have the original Owners Manual but it does not reverence the table

Any ideas?

Thanks

Bob

Great choice!

Lots of us here came up from C30's. I spent 13 years raising the family and learning on a 1984 model before buying my 1999 C36.

Check out the Soundings for eligible boats. I have 2 possible recommendations for you.

First, think about getting a Great Lakes boat. Between the short seasons and fresh water sailing, they might be in better shape for the age. Don't underestimate the advantage of never being in salt water. Transportation may not be all that expensive.

Secondly, don't assume 1995 or 1996 is your best choice. The boat industry is currently in a depression and you may find a desperate or very motivated seller of a newer model. Likewise, I wouldn't pass on a very well maintained older boat over an average newer boat. The larger engine and the walk through transom and swim platform would be non-negotiable for me, but other than that, there are few differences from year to year.

[QUOTE=therobesons;1882]We have a 1985 C-36 with the U shaped dinette.

I wanted to lower the table to convert into a bed.

I was able to get the table off the pedestal post, I was able to loosen or even remove the big knob but I was not able to remove the post.

The post does fell lose, even moves about 1/16" up and down, against the black insert that is inside the post, but the post does NOT come off.

I do have the original Owners Manual but it does not reverence the table

Any ideas?

Thanks

Bob[/QUOTE]

Uh Bob.....the post isn't supposed to come out. You loosen the knob and then push down until the table seats into the rails.

[QUOTE=gforaker;1884]Great choice!

First, think about getting a Great Lakes boat. Between the short seasons and fresh water sailing, they might be in better shape for the age. Don't underestimate the advantage of never being in salt water. Transportation may not be all that expensive.
[/QUOTE]

I agree. I had always looked at saltwater boats, and had "gotten used to" the corrosion. When I saw one that had spent its entire life in fresh water, I was amazed at the difference...and bought it. :)

In general, when you walk onto the right boat, you will know it. The right boat just seems to let you know. It is the condition, layout setup etc that just meets your fancy, when you step onto that boat, you will know.

While I have now owned 2 C-36's I can say without a dought that the 36 is one of the best all around sail boats out there by anyone.

Roomy, fast, easy to sail and stiff.

She is a good looking boat and a joy to own.

However, as nice as the 36 is, it is just a big 30, same interior, so you are just getting a bigger 30.

The old 38's, while a little longer than a 36 do not offer the inside room of the 36.

For a completely different boat, look at the 34, nice layout, larger rear state room, nice head. It is totally different than the 30 or 36 and in the same price range.

Boat shows, in the water boat shows, and walk onto lots and lots of boats.

Just some ideas.

Bpb

The C34 should have looked similar, but not larger, IF you were comparing similarly-aged boats. The later model C34s and C36s seem huge inside, due probably to their better use of light interior colors and, of course, the beamier aft section that is part of the mkII style.

We went on a 30 day Canada cruise in 2006 (with two cats onboard), and there was storage that we didn't even use...under the V-berth, for example. It was the ample storage that ultimately sold the Admiral on the C36 as the boat we would buy. Till that discovery in 2001, at Port Sidney Marina when Roy Kraft's brand new S/V Seawings berthed right next to us, she had vetoed every candidate I came up with. Later that day while crossing Haro Strait enroute to Roche Harbor, she turned to me and said, "That's the boat." Inwardly, I burst with joy...but keeping a poker face I said, "Hmmmm. Maybe. I'll have to think about it." Ha!

We purchased a 1995 Catalina 36 in 2007 for the same reason that you are looking at a 1995. That was the newest boat we could afford on our budget.
We moved up from a Tartan 28, a great boat, but with three kids it got smaller every year. The extra speed and stability that the longer waterline that the 36 gives you is another bonus is sloppy weather.

However, if I had to do it over, I would consider a slightly new boat.
I believe either the '96 model or the 97' model came with the larger 35B motor. It is worth getting if you can afford it.
(I have yet to be in a sailboat where I thought, "Darn, this thing has just too much horsepower")

Two other minor changes in later years:
Lewmar also changed their port design in the same time period, and the new design without the twist latches are much less leaky.

There was also an upgrade from the horizontal anchor winch to a more useful vertical winch at some point, although I believe that later than the other two changes I mentioned.

Other than the motor, the rest are minor issues, and overall I am very happy with the 1995.

Not to be the contrarian, but if you're willing to go with a 1995 model, reach back just a few years and take a look at a 1991-1992. It has more and better storage, nicer wood interior, a real nav station and with the money you save, you can make her your own. These are all just my opinions, mind you, and are not intended in any way to denigrate the newer models. Just do yourself a favor and take a look.

Mike

Dave is right on the changes. I have a 1996 and a fellow fleet 15 member has a 1997 one dock over from me. They made a lot of tweaks from 1996 to 1997 models.

The windless (much better design on the 1997s and newer - 1996 and earlier don't have a gypsy on the drum so you either buy a conversion or haul the chain up by hand).

The head compartment is now all fiberglass in some areas--no teak seat on the bench and no teak shower grate, easier to clean and dry if you use the shower. Funny...they wish they had the teak, I would prefer not to.

Aft cabin on the 1997s and later went to a hatch instead of portlights on the inside of the cockpit.

They also added in the seats on the transom just ouside of the swim ladder and enlarged the stern rail seats.

The other change I noticed was that my 1996 does not have a coaming compartment in the cockpit. The 1997 has it. Thought that was strange, not hard to add but it is way down on the project list.

Not sure when, but in later years they added in the 3rd battery.

Thanks for the detail on the changes. The seats on the swim platform are a nice addition. It would give the kids a place to take off their sandy shoes.

Do you know when Catalina started installing the bigger motor?

Also, an interesting aside, Catalina and other boat makers installed the hatch in the rear cabin due to a regulatory change. All enclosed compartments are required to have egress (for thin people anyway.) to the outside. This regulation would have made the climax to the movie "White Squall" much less poignant.

Also, one question, where is the third battery located on the new models?

Dave

The third battery on the Mk II boats, if installed at all, would be under the forward seat of the two-place stbd dinette. It is not a standard installation, as it is either an option or installed as an aftermarket addition. It is a very worthwhile mod.

Photo below shows the underseat compartment as I was just beginning my standby starting battery installation (7 years ago). I have photos of the completed installation, taken just in the past few days, but they're still on my camera, not yet downloaded. I can expedite the photo download if anyone expresses interest.